A joint report by JLL and NAREDCO MAHI, titled "Building Inclusive Future: Empowering Women in India's Real Estate Transformation," has revealed that women occupy only 1 to 2 per cent of leadership positions in the country's real estate sector. This stark gap persists despite women increasingly influencing housing demand, property ownership, and sustainability-led development.
Workforce Representation and Attrition
According to the report, women comprise 48.5 per cent of India's population but represent only about 10 per cent of the 71 million workforce employed in the construction sector. While women account for 40 to 45 per cent of entry-level positions in real estate-related professions, attrition rises significantly during mid-career stages, leading to a major leadership gap at senior management levels.
The findings highlight that this gap exists even as the industry evolves through urbanisation, digital transformation, and green building practices.
Expert Insights on Inclusion
Smita Patil, President of NAREDCO MAHI, stated, "Women are no longer participants at the margins of the real estate sector; they are increasingly shaping its future as homebuyers, professionals, entrepreneurs and sustainability champions." She added, "However, the industry must now focus on building stronger pathways for leadership through mentorship, skilling, financial inclusion and equal opportunities. Greater participation of women is not only an inclusion imperative but also a business imperative for the future growth of Indian real estate."
Policy Barriers and Informal Workforce Challenges
The report noted that policy interventions like stamp duty concessions, home loan incentives, and the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana encourage female property ownership. Yet, significant barriers continue to limit women's progression into decision-making roles. A majority of women in the informal construction workforce continue to work without adequate social security, childcare support, insurance coverage, or structured career advancement.
On a positive note, women show a growing contribution to green building certification, ESG implementation, and PropTech innovation.
Strategic Recommendations
A Shankar, India Head - Government Advisory & Infrastructure Solutions at JLL India, remarked, "Meaningful progress in the participation of women in real estate emerges not from isolated gestures but through accumulated actions: comprehensive training programs, structured career pathways, pay equity transparency, childcare support, and workplace cultures that recognise diversity." He added, "Enabling women's full participation in real estate transcends equity alone—it represents a strategic pathway toward achieving the Viksit Bharat 2047 goals and India's aspiration of becoming a $1 trillion economy."
To bridge the leadership gap, the report recommended transparent pay structures, return-to-work programmes, stronger workplace safety mechanisms, and leadership development initiatives. Unlocking this female potential remains critical to strengthening talent pipelines, improving governance standards, and supporting India's vision of becoming a developed economy by 2047.
